SCWF works diligently with state legislators to protect precious wildlife habitats and ensure that sound scientific data is used to make decisions that affect wildlife. Check out these recent wins for conservation!
Winged Warfare
Endangered Species Act 50th Anniversary
Endangered Species Act: Manatee
Endangered Species Act: The Gopher tortoise
Did you know that we have a native tortoise species in South Carolina? The Gopher tortoise is the only species of tortoise found in the southeast and one of only four tortoise species found in the entire U.S.! They dig large underground burrows that hundreds of other animals use for shelter and protection from predators. Gopher tortoises play an important role in the ecosystem as a keystone species, and this makes the protection of this species critical to the entire food web.
Endangered Species Act: Red Knot
Red knots are listed as federally threatened, and have had an 87% decline since the year 2000. These amazing birds fly more than 18,600 miles during their annual migration. SC’s coast plays a significant role as a stopover site for the birds to rest and recharge during their trip. Red knots have a special link to horseshoe crabs because they depend on their eggs for food during migtation stopover. Their journey of 9,300 miles each spring and each fall makes the red knot one of the longest-distance migrants in the animal kingdom.
Endangered Species Act: Schweinitz's Sunflower
Found only in the piedmont of the Carolinas, this native sunflower is a late summer bloomer that has been on the endangered species list since 1991. The Community Habitat team at Sun City Carolina Lakes has been doing their part to preserve and restore one of the rarest species in the nation. Working with local parks, garden clubs, universities, and the SC Native Plant Society, this team has incorporated the plants into their pollinator gardens and are working to distribute seeds throughout their community.
Endangered Species Act: Oceanic Whitetip Shark
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! Join us as we highlight species throughout the year that have benefited from this landmark legislation.
This week is shark week! Take a dive with us into the fascinating world of sharks and their importance in ocean ecosystems. The oceanic whitetip shark is a federally threatened species that lives off South Carolina’s coast and is a pelagic species, meaning they are found exclusively in waters of the open ocean.
Endangered Species Act: Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
Endangered Species Day: Red-cockaded woodpecker
May 3rd is National Endangered Species Day and we are recognizing the importance of wildlife conservation and restoration efforts for imperiled species like the federally endangered Red-cockaded woodpecker. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, a landmark piece of legislation that institutionalized our national commitment to the conservation of wildlife and their habitat.
Endangered Species Act: Wood Stork
The Wood Stork represents a significant milestone as we continue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. These large wading birds are the only species of stork breeding in the U.S. and can be found roosting in colonies within the forested wetlands, cypress swamps, and marshes of the southeastern coastal plain. Once listed as federally endangered, the species is now making a comeback and has been proposed for delisting thanks to increased protection of their habitat and the critical ecosystems that they rely on.
Endangered Species Act: Smooth Coneflower
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act! Join us as we highlight species throughout the year that have benefited from this landmark legislation.
Smooth Coneflowers are native wildflowers that provide many benefits to the ecosystem such as a source of nectar for pollinators like native bees and dried seed heads that provide food for birds in the winter.
Venus Flytrap Bill at the SC State House
Senator Hembree of North Myrtle Beach has introduced a bill (S.581) which would designate the Venus Flytrap as South Carolina’s Official State Carnivorous Plant. SCWF spoke in support of this bill at a recent sub-committee meeting, where it passed unanimously out , and will next be heard by the Senate Family & Veterans' Services Committee.
Endangered Species Act: Frosted Flatwoods Salamander
To continue celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, meet our next species of the month, the frosted flatwoods salamander. This species was listed as threatened in 1999 under the Endangered Species Act. They are endemic to the historically fire-adapted longleaf pine ecosystem and require open canopy pine savannas with wiregrass. In 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated 22,970 acres of protected critical habitat for the frosted flatwoods salamander.
Endangered Species Act: Bald Eagle
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. Join us as we highlight species throughout the year that have benefited from this landmark legislation.
The Bald eagle is not only a national symbol of the United States, but also represents one of the greatest success stories of the Endangered Species Act. Bald eagle populations have increased from just 417 breeding pairs in 1963 to over 71,400 pairs documented in 2019.
18,000-home Cainhoy plan is a ‘total tragedy’ for endangered bird. SC groups are suing.
Published in Post & Courier - A massive 9,000-acre development planned for the Cainhoy peninsula, wedged between Daniel Island and the Francis Marion National Forest, is ground zero for the threats that the species faces: development, climate change and politics.
GREEN: Graham-backed bold, bipartisan wildlife bill is running out of time
From brook trout to bobwhites, wildlife is part of what defines South Carolina. Unfortunately, more than 800 local species of concern have been identified by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. It’s part of a larger national trend where more than one-third of America’s wildlife are edging toward extinction.
